The 2009 Emmy Nominees

The 61^st Primetime Emmy Award Nominations were announced this morning (by the amazing team of Chandra “Bailey” Wilson and Jim “Sheldon” Parsons, who both acted suitably humble when their own names were called). The complete list of nominations is available online at emmy.tv. The following are what I consider to be the highlights and curiosities of the list (my ideal winners are in red).

• Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer and Dan Castellaneta get nominations for voice-over performance for Family Guy, Robot Chicken and The Simpsons.
• Outstanding Animated Program nominations go to American Dad, Robot Chicken, The Simpsons and South Park but no Family Guy.
• The Art Direction Award should go to Damages but it’s not even nominated in that category, neither is Dexter, another high art direction achiever. Instead, Bones, Heroes, Mad Men, Pushing Daisies, True Blood and The Tudors get the nom for the more challenging single-camera style while multi-camera art direction becomes one of How I Met Your Mother’s few nominations.
• Outstanding Casting nominations go to Californication, The Office, 30 Rock, United States of Tara, Weeds, Damages, Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, True Blood and The Tudors. 30 Rock books the best guest stars, United States of Tara established a perfect new ensemble this season and Friday Night Lights is brilliantly handling the gradual transition from an old cast to a new one- it’s a tough call.
• Choreography nominations go to that terrible musical tribute at the Oscars, a random Dancing with the Stars number that was choreographed by the lovely Hough siblings and a staggering 4 nominations for the choreographic showcase that is So You Think You Can Dance: Tabatha & Napoleon’s “Bleeding Love”, Mia’s door routine, Tyce’s Adam and Eve contemporary and an unmemorable tango from ballroom genius Dmitry.
• Cinematography- same question as Art Direction: where are Damages and Dexter? I’ll pick Weeds and Breaking Bad for the wins though.
• Outstanding Commercial- I’m rooting for the genius of the Hulu “we’re aliens” marketing team on this one. Though I prefer the Seth MacFarlane version, the superbowl ad with Alec Baldwin got the nomination.
• Costume nominations go to Mad Men, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Pushing Daisies, The Tudors and Ugly Betty. Ok, I’m just going to say it, I want Gossip Girl on this list next year! And what about So You Think You Can Dance? They cover more genres of dress than anything else in a single week.
• Directing: 3 nominations for 30 Rock and one each for Entourage, Flight of the Conchords and The Office, making me wonder what’s so impressive about those series over other sitcoms directing-wise? On the other side of the genre coin, Damages finally gets a aesthetic nomination, Battlestar Galactica picks up a rare nod, Boston Legal and ER get recognized for the direction of their swan songs and Mad Men makes the cut yet again (are they nominated for everything?)
• Is it too much to hope that How I Met Your Mother might pick up a trophy for editing if it’s up against 30 Rock and 3 Office episodes?
• I will never completely understand why Outstanding Hairstyling is a category, especially when some of the nominees have a pretty “shampoo and blow dry”- looking style (*cough* Desperate Housewives *cough*). But period and genre pieces like Mad Men, The Tudors and Pushing Daisies I suppose would present some styling challenges. Multi-Camera Series nominees make a bit more sense (Dancing with the Stars, MADtv and SNL- they have to do crazy things with limited time) but what’s with Two and a Half Men? Aren’t they all men? Again, where’s So You Think You Can Dance on this one?
• Outstanding Main Title Design- the field is getting pretty thin on this one since everyone’s opting out of a good old fashioned credit sequence these days. Luckily, Lie to Me, Storymakers, Taking Chances, True Blood and United States of Tara recognize the value of an iconic opener (the fact that I’ve never heard of some of them gives this view less credence).
• As for Outstanding Makeup, I say give it to Grey’s Anatomy for the bloodiness/hot people in need of eyeliner combo. Obviously the prosthetics and non-prosthetics categories for made-for-TV movies will go to Grey’s Gardens and their aging makeup. Though YAY on the inclusions of SYTYCD and SNL.
• Justin Timberlake hits it big in the Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics category for his “I Love Sports” number at the ESPYS and for “Motherlover” on SNL. Hugh Jackman at the Oscars (overrated), A Colbert Christmas, A Muppets Christmas and Flight of the Conchords are his competition.
• Getting down to the interesting stuff, Lead Comedy Actor nominees are Jim Parsons (YAY), Jermaine Clement (seriously? Ok, he’s great), Tony Shalhoub (GO AWAY MONK!), Steve Carell (in his best season in years), Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men is NOT funny) and Alec Baldwin (30 Rock is).
• In possibly the toughest category this year, super-geniuses Bryan Cranston, Michael C Hall, Hugh Laurie, Gabriel Byrne, Jon Hamm and Simon Baker will battle it out for the Top Lead Actor in a Drama spot. (Anyone else noticing the conspicuous absence of former winner James Spader after Boston Legal’s final season?!)
• While I don’t usually care about Miniseries or Movie nominations, the theatre geek in me loves the fact that Kevin Kline and Ian McKellen’s “Great Performances” of Cyrano de Bergerac and King Lear got nominations.
• The Lead Comedy Actress category is another tough one with seriously funny ladies Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Christina Applegate, Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman (seriously? Awesome!), Mary Louise Parker and Toni Collette as this year’s nominees.
• Once again, this year’s Lead Dramatic Actress nominees are not at all interesting. I don’t watch it myself but isn't there a Battlestar Galactica actress to put on this list? Or how about Elizabeth Mitchell and Evangeline Lily? Or the entire female cast of Big Love. Or CONNIE BRITTON for crying out loud! Instead, the pretentious Emmys chose to honour the predictable choices Sally Field, Kyra Sedgwick, Glenn Close, Mariska Hargitay, Elisabeth Moss and Holly Hunter; all good actresses, but I would argue not all the best on TV.
• I really think this is Neil Patrick Harris’ year to finally (not only host) but win the Emmy for Oustanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. I say this because he’s up against a pretty random crew (that doesn't include Jeremy Piven): Kevin Dillon, Rainn Wilson, Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer (really? Come on!) and Jon Cryer. WHERE IS MICHAEL URIE’S NOMINATION!?! COME ON PEOPLE!
• But here is where we celebrate: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama. First of all, can I get a “hell yeah!” on behalf of the freaking fantastic Aaron Paul and his nomination for Breaking Bad! Then let’s feel the love for Christian Clemenson (as well as a sort of nostalgic fondness for his co-star William Shatner as their series comes to an end). Finally, the category is topped off by solid performers like William Hurt, Michael Emerson and John Slattery. My only issue would be the heartbreaking lack of Michael Rhys, Justin Chambers and Enver Gjokaj on this list.
• Supporting Comedy Actress honours Amy Poehler (sure the Palin rap was pretty great but she did less than half a season, I think maybe this is a little ridiculous). But it also honours Kristin Wiig, who (in Poehler’s absence) has been holding her own brilliantly as the only female member of the principle cast of SNL. Adorable Kristin Chenoweth who had a particularly great season, Jane Krakowski who had a pretty typical season, Vanessa Williams (likewise) and the brilliant Elizabeth Perkins round out the bunch. Here’s where I put forward the idea that maybe it’s about time to create a category for the likes of Poehler and Wiig (as well as their male counterparts and their MADtv rivals) instead of throwing them in with the supporting actresses and taking away nominations from deserving primetime gals like Portia de Rossi, Jennifer Esposito, Cobie Smulders, Rosemarie Dewitt and Angela Kinsey.
• Supporting Dramatic Actress has lots of love for Grey’s Anatomy (Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson- even though it was very clearly a Katherine Heigl season) as well as In Treatment (Hope Davis and Dianne Wiest). Rose Byrne and Cherry Jones bring up the back of an uninteresting group (that ridiculously doesn’t contain any Walker siblings, Leighton Meester, Dichen Lachman, Amanda Seyfried, Louanne Stephens, Grace Zabriskie or Adrienne Palicki).
• Guest Actor in a Comedy: YAY for Beau Bridges, SUPER YAY for Justin Timberlake, YAY for Jon Hamm and Alan Alda, a slightly excited but still sincere YAY for Steve Martin. An annoyed grunt over 3/5 nominations all being 30 Rock.
• The Guest Actor in a Drama category is boring but I love Michael J Fox enough to mention that he was nominated for Rescue Me, even though I never saw his performance.
• Guest Actress in a Comedy: ARE YOU KIDDING ME? NO AMY RYAN? THAT’S CRAP! I like Christine Baranski, I like Betty White, I like Jennifer Aniston, Elaine Stritch is always funny and Gena Rowlands is there too. Obviously Tina Fey is going to win for her Palin impersonation but she shouldn’t (even though I love her) because this trophy belongs to the un-nominated Amy Ryan!
• Guest Actress in a Drama is Law & Order mania with 3 nominations: Ellen Burstyn, Brenda Blethyn and Carol Burnett (who I’d put my money on to win). CCH Pounder is there too but I’m rooting for Sharon Lawrence’s stirring performance as Izzie’s mom on Grey’s Anatomy.
• They may have improved on last year with the additions of Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi and (not really a host) Tom Colicchio, but the Emmys have gotten the Reality Host category wrong again by including dull Tom Bergeron and omni-absent Phil Keoghan alongside decent hosts Ryan Seacrest, Jeff Probst and Heidi Klum while ignoring the best host on TV, Cat Deeley.
• Outstanding Comedy Series: THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED TO FAMILY GUY! Apparently it transcended it’s genre to get a nomination for best comedy instead of best animated series. Entourage, The Office, 30 Rock and Weeds show up again in this category, alongside suprising dark horse Flight of the Conchords and FINALLY a nomination for the uber-deserving How I Met Your Mother. Sadly, no United States of Tara or Better off Ted.
• Outstanding Drama hits it right on the head with Big Love, Breaking Bad, Damages, Dexter, House, Lost and Mad Men. My only gripe would be the complete exclusion of genre shows like Battlestar Galactica and Dollhouse as well as the traditional snubbing of the genius of Friday Night Lights.
• Variety, Music or Comedy Series sees rewards going to the few shows that haven’t changed hosts this year (Letterman, Colbert Report, Daily Show and Real Time) as well as SNL, which is sure to win for their fall election coverage and receive a pardon for that mediocre second half.
• Some random “special class” category decides to honour Battlestar and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog, among others. I decide I like the “special class” category, even if I don’t understand it.
• There’s a Children’s Program Category? Great, another awards show that can guarantee Miley Cyrus’ attendance.
• Since when is Antiques Roadshow considered an Outstanding Reality Program? For that matter, since when is Dirty Jobs, Dog Whisperer, MythBusters or Intervention? Yay for Kathy Griffin though!
• Reality Competition once again goes for wide appeal (Amazing Race, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars) and niche trendiness (Project Runway, Top Chef), completely missing the show that caters to both (So You Think You Can Dance)
• Visual Effects nominations go to otherwise ignored series like Battlestar Galactica, Fringe, Heroes, Ghost Whisperer and Sanctuary. My advice to producers of genre TV: take your kicks where you can get ‘em.
• Stunt Co-ordination is a category? GO CHUCK! I get Burn Notice, Chuck, Criminal Minds and 24, but why is My Name is Earl nominated for this?
• Writing for a Comedy is ridiculous! No way Flight of the Conchords gets nominated alongside FOUR 30 Rock episodes. That’s ridiculous. Especially since “Reunion”, “Apollo, Apollo”, “Mamma Mia” and “Kidney, Now!” weren’t even written by the Emmys’ beloved Tina. What about all the other fantastically written comedy shows out there? What about United States of Tara that’s written by Oscar winning scribe Diablo Cody? Or the underappreciated but heavily-quoted How I Met Your Mother guys? Time to share the love. 30 Rock is good but it’s not the only good thing out there.
• WHAT THE HECK! The same thing happened with drama (an even bigger issue!) Lost gets one nomination (thankfully, it’s for an episode that was actually written by the showrunners) and all the other nominations are for Mad Men (4 in total). Big Love was freaking amazing this year! What about Damages’ intricate suspense building or Brothers & Sisters’ incomparable character development? I’m not even going to get started on the hundreds of things that the Friday Night Lights writers do right every week.
• Variety, Music or Comedy writing saves it with their standard nominations for The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Late Show with David Letterman and Saturday Night Live. As much as I love my daily dose of Jon Stewart, I’m going to have to go with my beloved Seth Meyers on this one and give it to him (SNL head writer) and his gigantic team of satirists.

Congratulations! You made it to the end of the commentary. Post in the comments section to tell us what you think of the Emmy nominees and snubbings.

Marry Me Reid

Annoyingly, this week was the turning point in a story that's been developing for weeks. It's the story of my love for The Bachelorette's Reid.

It started when I figured out that he was a different person from Tanner F and Mark. It kicked into gear the first time he wore his glasses on camera and reached high speed the day before his one-on-one date when he chatted with the train staff, asking their advice for his upcoming date. His adorable family, his charming neurosis and his cuddly nature were the icing on an already pretty fantastic cake. Then there's the fact that he never knows the right thing to say (which I, inexplicably, always find endearing).

This week was also the first time I haven't loved Ed. I swear it has nothing to do with the "lack of chemistry" incident on the overnight date. In fact, I felt really bad for him so was inclined to give him extra points just for the brave face. No, overall he was just off this week. For the first time, he was the least attractive guy there. Firstly, Hawaii attire simply does not suit the man the way it does a surfer dude like Kiptyn... and his "mankini" REALLY did not help matters... neither did his "mantank" or his humidity hair; Ed is suited to Chicago, and there he should stay. But hot weather aesthetics aside, Ed just didn't have the calm and slightly nerdy sweetness going for him this week that has been his bread and butter so far in the competition. He seemed anxious. I didn't much like his family (though it was sweet that he flew them in) and I REALLY could have done without the icky massage oil sequence. I don't know if it was the editing or if he was just having an off week, but I haven't disliked Ed in a long time and this week he just made me say "ick".

So why is this annoying? Well, it's annoying because the week that my favourites get reshuffled to have Reid at the top and Ed slipping down the list is also the week that Moron McSlutty decided to get rid of Reid (because her inability to read people leaves her always needing verbal reinforcement of their affections, something Reid can't provide) and move Ed into the final 2 (along with Kiptyn, who has been my least favourite of the 3 for a while but I think is possibly the best suited to Moron McSlutty, even though I generally like him and think he can do better).

As Reid departed after a teary goodbye from Jillian (always a sign that she's made the wrong choice; remember how Jason cried when he let Molly go), he confessed that he really did love her and puts all the blame for his departure on his inability to tell her so. So my guess for the finale (2 weeks from now) is that the "big confession" is Reid making a reappearance and finally telling her he loves her. God I hope that's not the case, but it's my best guess at the moment. I think she'll end up with Ed in the end, Kiptyn will be the next Bachelor and Reid will move on to break down his emotional walls for a girl more deserving.

Next week is the "The Men Tell All" special which is set to include lots of Wes talk, an expectedly vague interview with Jillian and an appearance by last season's controversial couple Jason and Molly (who are still together... who knew?!).

Must-See Sports TV

It's rare that I would ever direct you lovely readers towards watching sports instead of regularly scheduled programming but I will make an exception for tomorrow night's event.

Even if you're not a baseball fan, tomorrow night's All-Star game is sure to be worth the watch. Starting at 8pm on FOX, tune in to see the best of the best battle it out for the World Series home stadium advantage.

You, as a My TV reader, are obligated to root for the American League team. Not only does their starting lineup boast 2 of my favourite athletes of all time (Blue Jays Roy Halladay and Aaron Hill will be pitching and playing second base respectively to start the game) but 3 of my fantasy league players are starting: Aaron Hill (again, he's my favourite), Derek Jeter (Yankees shortstop) and Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay 3rd baseman). Not only that, but with me as an avid Jays fan and Rachael as a member of Red Sox Nation, we at My TV are ALEast all the way- so you should be too.

Doc takes the mound at 8pm on FOX- watch it!

My Favourite Things

My favourite TV writer, Aaron Sorkin, is attached to fix the troubled script for Moneyball, a baseball movie starring Brad Pitt.

Sounds like my kind of movie.

For full details click here

Dinner is Served: August 26th

One of my favourite reality shows, Top Chef, finally has a premiere date set.

The new season starts August 26th on Bravo and is set in Las Vegas. Returning faces include amazing host/judge Padma Lakshmi, iconic head judge Tom Colicchio and fan favourite Gail Simmons. Unfortunately, obnoxious new judge Toby Young will also be making a return appearance. But 3 out of 4 ain't bad.

The date is perfect timing for me (soon enough that I don't have to wait forever but late enough that I'll be able to catch most of the season in the US since it doesn't air on schedule in Canada).

My mouth is already watering.

There Was Something Missing In My Life Before I Returned to Global Dynamics

Eureka could be the most affable, good-natured, thoroughly and consistently enjoyable shows to ever grace the face of basic cable. ASs SyFy's biggest hit, and second only to BSG in mainstream recognition, Eureka has had three pretty damn great seasons of science fictiony weirdness without the requisite darkness or satire. Don't get me wrong; there's a big place in this world for darkness and satire, but (a lot like NBC's Chuck) the beauty of Eureka is that it's just plain fun. It's dorky science experiments and awesome characters doing dorky things and being witty. And the plots move along at a respectable, enjoyable pace, the character's relationships are always believable and intriguing, and Sheriff Carter (Colin Ferguson) is probably one of the most engaging, likable men in the history of the world.

In fact, I could probably write a Homer-ic ode to the character of Eureka. Although the plots are often cute and fun, and occasionally even sly and inventive, the thing that sets Eureka apart from other science fiction shows is just how damn well-crafted each and every character. I mean, this is a show that took the lead's girlfriend's ex-husband, with his scowly brow and gruff demeanor, and refused to let him stay as slimy antagonist, and instead transformed him into a doomed, tragic, and surprisingly endearing hero. The female characters, not to harp on the old feminist point, are also some of the best in the business. Allison, who could easily be the underwritten pretty lady, is actually an incredibly tough, smart, resourceful, honorable woman who does the tough things for herself and her son, who weathers the challenges of being the head of a huge, insane corporation like GD, losing the love of her life, and an unexpected pregnancy all with the same air of competent and awesomeness. One of the show's biggest strengths I don't love every character, but every character is likable.

None more so than Sheriff Carter, who smiles even while he watches the woman he loves marry another man (over and over again) because he sees the good in the world and he wants to protect it. Although he's also a deeply layered protagonist, his affable relative "stupidity" (the conceit of Eureka being that only above-average intelligenced Jack Carter protects a town full of super geniuses) often a cover for turbulence just beneath the surface, he never "goes dark" or falls so completely prey to his own ego that he fails to get the job done. In other words, he's unique, like a smiling, cop snowflake.

In the series' Season Three Premier, Sheriff Carter is turned back into Jack Carter, regular dude. The head honcho at GD, in fallout from last season's finale, has fired Jack, and hired a robot (oh yeah, that's always a good call). His faithful deputy Jo, after getting cruelly passed over for the sheriff job, quits. Allison's looking mighty preggers, as is Sheriff Carter's sister, whose zero-g crib turns out to be a major plot point. Aside from that, not much has changed.

Carter quickly gets a job with Homeland Security, because he's awesome, but the job would uproot his loving daughter, Zoe, and force Jack to leave Allison and the rest of Eureka's miscreants right when they need him most. Inevitably, the robocop fails in the line of duty (although the show gets lots of plots for making him a stand-up synthetic dude, if not quite as good as our main sheriff man) and Mayor Henry Deacon finds a loophole in the town charter to allow him to reinstate Sheriff Carter. All's back to normal, and the episode ends with the set up for Season Three's season long mystery... aliens?

Not much info for the overall arch, but as long as the stand alone episodes are as much (sorry, but it really is the best word to describe this show) affable fun as this one, I'm not worried.

*Addition to our recent father's day post: The second best television Dad, behind Keith Mars, is Jack Carter. Zoe and him have real issues (divorce, boys, curfews, rapid-aging processes), but their legitimate love and respect for each other is ultimately the back bone of this show.

Another Look at Skins

After watching series one of Skins, I was eager to continue watching to see what became of Cassie and Sid’s relationship, how Maxxie and Anwar’s friendship would grow, and whether or not Tony survived getting run over by a bus. So I patiently waited for my DVDs to arrive in the mail and once they did I was utterly disappointed. The problem is Skins focused on some ridiculous storylines this season and effectively ruined a lot of the amazing relationships they originally built.

In a typical melodramatic turn of events, Sid and Cassie suffered through a pretty horrible breakup due to a complete misunderstanding. While webcamming with Sid, Cassie accidentally left her camera on and he saw her sitting with a half naked man. The man, of course, was gay and just a friend of Cassie’s. Sid did what most immature teenagers would do and refused to ask Cassie about it. Instead, after his father’s death he starts sleeping with Michelle. Meanwhile, Tony is undergoing physical therapy and trying to get back to his normal life after suffering brain damage. In other ridiculous plots, Anwar and Maxxie’s friendship is destroyed when Anwar starts dating Sketch, a girl who stalked Maxxie because she wanted to date him regardless of his sexuality.

The only interesting plot to happen this season was between Jal and Chris. Jal was my least favorite character in the first series, but she became the breakthrough star this series. The writers gave Larissa Wilson the hardest story. She had to make Jal transition from the boring supportive friend to a romantic love struck girl dealing with pregnancy and death. In an unexpected twist, she falls in love with Chris and is impregnated the first time they have sex. Shortly after telling Chris, her lover dies from a hereditary disease (another problem with this show is how much quickly some of the plots move forward). The series three finale shows Jal coping with Chris’ death and her decision about whether or not to keep the baby. Cassie may have been the star of series one, but Jal takes the cake in series two.

The final episode also marks the sendoff of all the original characters. As far as sendoffs go, it was probably one of the worst in television history. The storylines were rushed, characters were not fully developed, and the emotional goodbyes were lacking. High school goodbyes should be elongated, full of emotion, and they should give meaning to the past relationships. None of this was successfully accomplished by Skins. The best goodbye was between Tony and Sid, but only Tony showed a good deal of sadness to see his best friend leave.

My biggest problem with the finale, which is still driving me insane, was the way things were left with Sid and Cassie. These two proved to have the best relationship throughout the series and it was a pleasure watching their friendship develop into something more. Cassie runs off to New York, missing Chris’ funeral, and Sid follows after. The episode ends with Sid searching for Cassie in the city, but we are given no glimpse into their possible reconciliation. In fact, it seems like the directors want us to believe that Sid might not actually find Cassie. After watching the miserable ending, I checked up some information about series three to see if Cassie and Sid return for some closure. According to the credits, they don’t!!!!

The last shot in series two shows Effy laying in Tony’s infamous bed (infamous because the bed spread shows two naked people and is a staple of the show) and she gives the camera a sly smile right before the credits role. The reason for this shot is to show the direction of the series. Effy takes over in the shows junior year as the main character. I have no desire to continue watching Skins because Effy never really interested me as a character. Also, I’ve lost faith in the writers for this show. Series one was engaging, realistic, and had a great deal of emotion. This was all lacking in series two. I’d still recommend watching Skins, but only on a rainy day.

Top Ten

This week's episodes of So You Think You Can Dance have been incredibly bittersweet. Thursday's episode finalized the top ten dancers, and in doing so two dancers were sent home. In the bottom six dancers included: Caitlin, Jason, Jeanine, Phillip, Melissa, and Ade. I was quite surprised to see Melissa and Ade in the bottom three because they have given consistent strong performances. Caitlin and Jason have been regulars in the bottom three. In the past two weeks, Jeanine and Phillip have been new visitors in the bottom three, as well. Like usual the judges made their decision on who would stay and who would go.


This week, for the girls, we said goodbye to Caitlin. I understood the judges' decision to eliminate Caitlin. Although she danced 'good' for the most part, she never was able to take her dancing or her routines to the next level, in my opinion.

For the males, we said goodbye to Phillip. Although Phillip is not my favorite dancer, I wanted to see him perform next week. He brought such a great attitude and heart to all of his routines. His partnership with Jeanine was one of my favorites. I thought Phillip had much more room to grow. Jason has been given several chances, and like Caitlin, I don't feel that he has taken his performance to the next level. He better, now!

The final ten dancers are: Kupono, Jeanine, Jason, Melissa, Ade, Randi, Evan, Janette, Brandon, and Kayla. This should be a top ten to remember!

And the 13th Houseguest is....

Well I'll get to that in a minute. If you haven't seen tonight's premiere of Big Brother then read no more. I promise several spoilers will be included in this post.

A very pregnant Julie Chen began the show with an introduction to the 12 new houseguests. As per usual, we saw them in all their glory receiving the keys but we didn't get to see too much personality come through. The biggest annoyance was Laura who already seems like her personality is going to match her enormous fake breasts. She definitely seems like "that girl."

After the houseguests all entered and introduced themselves they were told about this seasons twist. Essentially, the cliques (brains, popular, athletes, and offbeats) will be competing in luxury and food competitions as a group, but the HOH and Veto's will be individual. The big twist is that the individual who wins HOH basically secures immunity for the rest of his group that week.

The cliques were split up as follows:
Offbeats: Lydia, Kevin, Casey
Brains: Michele, Chima, Ronnie
Populars: Braden, Laura, Jordan
Athletes: Jeff, Natalie, Russell

My initial reactions for all the houseguests are sticking so far. This is mostly because the episode did not have enough time to actually introduce the individual personalities. The only two changes I would make to my early judgments would be Kevin and Natalie. From tonight's brief depiction of both these people, I think I'm going to like them a lot more. Kevin is loud, flamboyant, and honest but so far it's not in an annoying way. Also, he seems to get along with my number one pick Lydia. Natalie may be a bit cocky but the girl deserves it. She endured the challenge the longest and probably would have out beat her partner Russell if given the opportunity to let the challenge play out. Natalie is a tough competitor and she is sure to dominate the physical challenges.


Lastly, the other big twist was the 13th houseguest. Four former houseguests were brought back to hang out with Julie and watch the first competition of the season. Each houseguest represented one of the cliques and thus the winning clique would not only secure that all-star houseguest the special 13th spot but they would also secure him/her the HOH for the week. Big Brother already started the season off horribly by bringing back some of the worst houseguests. Representing the offbeats was Michael (Cowboy) from Season 5. Please...far too boring and overrated. Representing the brains was Brian from Season 10. Now, Brian could be an interesting addition to the house since he showed us a glimpse of his strategic game play (actually more than a glimpse, which is why he left so early). My problem with Brian is that we barely got to know him as an audience and there are more deserving strategic players out there who could be brains. I mean, really, they should have brought Dr. Will to represent the Brains. Representing the athletes was Jesse from Season 10. He probably is the best choice for the athlete, but he was just so darn obnoxious. Last, representing the popular clique is Jessica from Season 8. You will all remember Jessica as the girl who was mad at whatsherface for borrowing five dollars in high school...or perhaps more memorable was her relationship with America's Player Eric. Jessica was my favorite player in season 10, so needless to say I was routing for the popular kids. In the end, the competition came down to Braden and Laura (the popular crew) and Natalie and Russell (the athletes). Sadly, the athletes destroyed the competition and Jesse is our new HOH! I'm furious yet excited to see what kind of drama he stirs up. I hope Jesse loses a bit of the cockiness so we can actually see more strategic game play on his part.

Aside from all the twists, my favorite group just might be the athletes. I really like Natalie and Jeff so far and Russell made a good impression tonight. My second favorites would be the offbeats...I probably find Lydia and Kevin to be two of the most intriguing houseguests and I'm guessing I will be routing for them, but I'm not crazy about Casey which is why they aren't my number one group.


Tune in Sunday to find out how the houseguests react to Jesse and who he will nominate for eviction.

Meet the New Houseguests

July is a wonderful month. It starts of with a celebration of independence (for us American readers). It continues with fun-filled days in the sun. And three glorious days a week it provides television viewers with the best damn summer reality show ever. That's right folks it's time for Big Brother 11! The show premiere's Thursday night but here's the run down of what we know so far:

What does the house look like?
-Well this year Big Brother's gone green. For the first time ever, the house is eco-friendly. The houseguests will be required to actually compost and recycle! But really, who cares? It's nice and all but the house is never as important as the twist/players!

So what is the twist?
-This season the houseguests are going back to high school. There will be four cliques: the jocks, the popular group, the off-beats, and the nerds. The twelve houseguests will be divided into these cliques and they will compete in these groups for food competitions, luxury, and safety from eviction. Now, the food and luxury competitions are fine for groups but I don't understand exactly what "safety from eviction" entails. Does this mean the group as a whole will win HOH? Or does this mean they compete as a group for veto? This new twist could really screw up this season if they don't work it out right. Competing with the same groups will surely cause tension but it just won't be as fun to watch as the individual competitions (especially if there is no longer and individual veto or HOH).

So that's it for the twist?
-NOPE! The even bigger twist is that a mystery 13th houseguest will enter the house. No one will find out who this houseguest is until the premiere episode but the producers are saying he/she will give an advantage to one of the cliques. The best guest at this point is that a houseguest from one of the past seasons will enter.

So who are the other twelve?
-Well here's a quick overview. Based on each player's bio and video interview, I have compiled a brief description of my first impressions. At the end of each description is the My TV rating which explains who my current favorites are (1 being the best and 12 the worst). (DISCLAIMER: these are initial reactions to people I barely know...therefore, I am extremely judgmental):

1/ Braden: A cocky California surfer who works as a model/actor (don't they all?). He considers himself a fashion icon and seems to be your typical metrosexual tool. Braden shows little personality in his video interviews.
Probable Group: Popular
My TV Rating: 12

2/ Casey: A 41 year old teacher by day DJ by night. The oldest contestant this season is the father of a 19 year old and a nine month year old son. He seems like a family man and a dedicated father. My guess is Casey will be one of the most liked among the other houseguests. Although, he does compare himself to Evel Dick and Marvin...which does not bode well. I'm thinking Casey just wants to be like Dick and therefore I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he might actually be a good guy (plus he shares my birthday, so I'm biased).
Probable Group: Off-beats. Possibly a nerd?
My TV Rating: 8

3/ Chima: The only African-American female this season, Chima is a freelance journalist who spends her time taking care of her sick mother. She'll probably be playing with the most heart and determination. She's a military brat who is proud of her independence. She may cause some drama since she claims to say what she feels always without filters.
Probable Group: Off-beats? Maybe popular.
MY TV Rating: 2


4/ Jeff: An advertising salesman who is your typical guys guy. He is into sports and the outdoors. Jeff says that he wants the audience to see how big of a heart he has. He claims to be looking for a showmance, but my guess is he won't need to look hard. Jeff is clearly the guy who will have a showmance. He seems charming and athletic. I predict several challenge wins and close alliances on his part.
Probable Group: Jocks
MY TV Rating: 3

5/Jordan: A small town girl who will be the innocent, naive one this season. Her bio is fairly boring and provides little information about her...perhaps a hint that she's lacking some substance? Jordan is terrified of being voted out first...and my guess is she will be. Her only hope for salvation could be starting a showmance with Jeff. Also, she had a boob job recently so she all ready loses points in my book.
Probable Group: Popular
MY TV Rating: 9


6/ Kevin: First and foremost, Kevin is the gay of the season. Each season has one. Big Brother clearly has a quota they try to meet; however, he probably has the most interesting back story. Kevin grew up as a Jehovah's Witness and was excommunicated at the age of 21. He is a graphic designer with an African-American and Japanese heritage. Kevin is setting himself up to be the bitchy gay who is likely to cause drama in the house. He may have the greatest strategy so far when it comes to alliances: his plan is to find the butch, straight male and have a secret alliance that no one will know about. It'll be interesting to see if he can accomplish this task. So far he seems to be the most strategic of the houseguests, but his personality might ruin his game.
Probable Group: Off-beats
MY TV Rating: 5

7/ Laura: 21 year old bikini model. That kind of sums it up right? A girl obsessed with her looks and tanning who also claims that abstaining from sex will be the hardest part of the show. She thinks her strategic game play is on par with Dan, Dick, or Danielle....my guess is her sex appeal will be her only strategy.
Probable Group: Popular? But she is into kick-boxing and is a black belt so maybe a jock.
MY TV Rating: 11


8/ Lydia: This tattooed lady used to be a nanny for a high-profile famous couple (tell us who!!!!). She is eccentric and says that liars piss her off (good luck in this house). Her bio is also fairly boring but she definitely has the best video of all the contestants. She seems really nice, refuses to have a showmance, and does not want to be a diva...I like her!
Probable Group: Off-beats
My TV Rating: 1

9/ Michele: A married neuroscientist who is always the smartest person in the room. Umm...that's about it. I have a feeling she will have trouble with the social aspect of the game.
Probable Group: Nerds
My TV Rating: 7


10/ Natalie: A Latina Tae Kwan Do world champion who is sure to cause a crap load of drama. She claims to be feisty and believes that no one can intimidate her. She has an interesting strategy: hiding her physical strength until she eliminates the strong players in the competition and is left with the weak. So far she is the only houseguest who I hated while reading the bio but actually liked while viewing her video...so I'm not so sure how I feel about Natalie.
Probable Group: Jock
My TV Rating: 6

11/ Ronnie: A married Star Wars and video game geek. Ronnie is probably the biggest fan of Big Brother this season which would help him strategically. He describes himself as a hybrid of Dr. Will and Dan...which would be the ultimate (and hottest) player...I'm really doubting Ronnie will live up to this. I predict an early exit from the game due to the social aspect.
Probable Group: Nerds
My TV Rating: 10



12/ Russell: This houseguest looks like the meat-head of the season. Russell recovered from a paralyzing motor cycle accident and is ready to destroy the competition. He has a martial arts background and an aggressive personality that will surely make for good television. He supposedly has a bad temper but he has a good personality on the camera. Russell will probably make a lot of friends and I predict he'll be in one of the main power alliances this season.
Probably Group: Jocks. Again, maybe popular (the two kind of go hand-in-hand).
My TV Rating: 4

So tune in tonight at 8pm to judge the new houseguests yourself...and hopefully find out who the mystery 13th is!


Big Brother 11 airs Thursdays at 8, Sundays at 8, and Tuesdays at 9.

2 Big Things Invade Your TV: one's a teen comedy based on a Shakespeare play, the other is not

This past week I found myself needing to clean out the DVR box and as a result I finally got around to watching two new series premieres. Hung and 10 Things I Hate About You surprisingly left me with similar feelings. Mainly, the two shows were pretty horrible premieres in that they both served the purpose of setting up the future story lines without really allowing the audience to truly like any of the characters.

Let's start with the show I'm least ashamed of watching: Hung. This series stars Thomas Jane as Ray Drecker, a recent divorcee who quickly finds himself nearly broke. Ray's two children (who thus far add absolutely nothing to the show) originally were living with him until the house practically burned down and they fled to live with their mother (played seamlessly by Anne Heche). Ray is a teacher which automatically means he has no money, so he signs up for a course about entrepreneurship. While taking the course, Ray learns that he must discover what his money maker is and sell this to the public. If you couldn't already guess from the title, it turns out Ray's money maker is his extremely large penis. Ray realizes this after Tanya, a poet he had a past sexual fling with, suggests he sell his body. The entire episode essentially focuses on Ray's sucky life and his decision to prostitute himself to make some money. Tanya ends up offering to help him and the process and act as his pimp.

Now it's hard to really judge Hung based on this episode alone. Frankly, it was a bit slow paced and boring, but the odd friendship between Ray and Tanya could prove to be entertaining. The two clearly aren't heading for a romantic relationship so it will be interesting to see exactly who the writers bring on as possible counterparts for these two characters. The best thing going for the show right now is it's time slot. Hung airs immediately after True Blood on Sunday nights so it's guaranteed to find a few loyal viewers. So next week when True Blood airs, stayed tuned a little longer and see what you make of this ridiculously conceptualized show.


Before I even begin talking about the next premiere, let me set the record straight. A few weeks ago I initially heard about ABC Family's upcoming re-working of 10 Things I Hate About You. I immediately vomited in my mouth and wrote it off completely. Then, a few days ago, a friend e-mailed me a link to the show's site saying, "horrible ideas I hope you are preparing to blog about." It was at that moment when I decided to brave the storm, watch the show, and then trash the hell out of it. Sadly, I'm not sure I can do that cause the thing is I think I kind of liked it. Okay, okay, put the angry fists down and stop yelling at me through the internet a moment and hear me out will you? As a child of the 90s I'm infuriated by the concept of a show which thinks it can measure up even slightly to the amazingness of 10 Things. On the other hand, as an avid television watcher, the premiere itself wasn't all the bad. Every single one of the actors and characters from the movie version out perform the television version ten-fold, but the writing is kind of damn good. The thing which saves 10 Things is the quips, sarcasm, and generally goofiness inherent in the script. These kids are kind of funny. And they do things like call the bitchy popular girl "Voldemort" and say things like "Can we turn off NPR it's giving me menopause?". Really, these aren't even the best examples. But the show has some potential.

The premise is essentially the same as the movie, two sisters are attending Padua High School and one is the know-it-all, slightly pretentious bitch while the other is blond girly-girl who everybody likes. Patrick is the creepy, bad-ass guy who no one likes and Cameron is the dork in love with the pretty girl. The main difference is in the television version the sisters are the new comers to Padua High, not Cameron. The audience then gets to see Bianca's attempt to become popular which is fairly difficult since the Cordelia-esque Chastity quickly writes her off after discovering her familial relations. In the end, Kat attempts to secure her sister a spot with the popular kids by threatening Chastity with printing ugly pictures of her in the yearbook (typical, over dramatic teen plots).

Really the biggest problem for this show (other than the fact that the movie will clearly always be better) is that Patrick is kind of too creepy. Think Edward Cullen eye rapes Bella creepy...not good. The writers would have been better off making Patrick have no interest in Kat but the first thing he says to her is that she interests him. I'd personally rather see the building of said interest as opposed to it just randomly appearing out of no where.

I'm ashamed I watched this, I'll admit it, but I will also admit that I plan on watching it again. I laughed out loud several times and I was pleasantly surprised by the writing. If you're anything like me, swallow you're pride and give it a shot.

I Want Their Life

My Boys is easily one of my favorite shows, ever! After every episode, I confess I want to be part of these fictional characters lives. I want to be immersed in this show. But I don't admire one character more than the others; in fact, I want to live like all of them, in some way or other:

Kenny: He's not attractive like Bobby or Brendan. He doesn't have a typical 'cool' job like PJ or a high power job like Andy. He's not 'loud' like Mike. Or wear fancy clothes and drink wine like Stephanie. But, he is great. I want his job. He makes money off of something he LOVES! He owns his own store of sports memorabilia. How awesome is that? It's pretty damn awesome. And, although he is not a go-to favorite, his humor shines through the crowd. He balances out Mike's ridiculousness and highlights it at the same time. Like all the characters, he has his spot in the group, and it's perfect. I wouldn't mind being Kenny.

Mike: Now, just imagine a red-headed Matthew McConaughey....Have it? Well, now you have Mike--Or that is what Mike would like you to think in Season Two's opening episode. I wouldn't want to be Mike because he is always spot on with his humor but because he isn't afraid to make a fool of himself...I respect that because, let's face it, we're all fools sometimes. I even find Mike's simplistic apartment charming. He sees nothing wrong with owning a single recliner, a TV, and a couple other items. It's his life and he doesn't apologize for it. Being Mike (for a day maximum) seems like fun!

Andy: The lawyer, who's the family man...who doesn't seem like a family man. I think the reason I wouldn't mind being Andy is because he is the brother of the coolest TV character! I also admire him for being able to chillax with his friends, drink beer, and play poker while still being a decent husband and dad. He doesn't think he is too good to go to therapy when he and Meredith need help, which is another respectable quality. Andy is a fun guy and he brings a quality to the group that one is never too old to hang out and have fun!



Brendan: He's the official cool guy. His daily wardrobe consists of jeans and a t-shirt with the logo of some band on it. Despite his rocky relationship with Wendy, he has a pretty charmed life. He went from being a DJ radio host to unemployed to an owner of a club. How sweet is that? While unemployed, he didn't even have to live uncomfortably because his best friend housed him. See, Brendan is awesome because of his best friend, which is why I want his life: so I can be friends with PJ!


Bobby: His family is uber rich; his family is slightly crazy; and still, his life is grand. At first, Bobby is the new guy of the group, but after two episodes he no longer bares that title. He manages to find humor in Mike's awful jokes. He doesn't mind Kenny's social awkwardness. He totally fits as the second cool guy of the group. He gets along with everyone effortlessly. He just fits. When he's absent from poker night, something is missing. Bobby is charming. After finally seeing the folly of his ways with his almost-bride-to-be, Elsa, he and PJ finally find the groove in their romantic relationship. Bobby is a chill guy. A chill guy whose life rocks! A life I wouldn't mind trying.

Stephanie: As unrealistic as her life is, it still seems pretty awesome. When we first meet her, she is a writer for a magazine, yet she's in loads of debt. After a trip to Italy and focusing her attention on writing a book, she's a 'love guru.' A love guru who is no longer in debt. That sounds like fun to me. Stephanie hosts wine socials and invites all of her girly friends and PJ. She is able to balance both worlds of the ultra girl and the relaxed way of life that PJ defines. She fits in well with the group at Crowley's (even though she complains about being in a bar) and she fits in well at pricey wine bars. Like Brendan, she is best friends with PJ, which again is another huge factor of why I wouldn't mind being Stephanie. Besides, she has great taste in wine.

PJ: This girl defines awesomeness. She's a sport's writer. She loves beer. She knows her away around a poker game. Most importantly, she has the best group of friends and life. Sure, she has her men problems--well, that is, until Bobby. Stephanie doesn't think she is girly enough, but PJ doesn't care. PJ loves being a down-to-earth guy's girl who drinks scotch. My life goal is to be PJ: to have a job I love, to be able to claim a bar as my joint, and to play a weekly game of poker with the boys. Her life is amazing. AMAZING!

Please forgive the overuse of the word awesome and synonyms for awesome. You see, I think the characters of My Boys have such interesting and cool lives. Each person lives a life that suits them and I don't think I could choose which life I would want to live more.How do you choose between awesome and awesome?

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Tonight our bachelorette ran off to Spain with the final four men. All week the previews showed Jillian finally learning the truth about Wes. This episode looked to be the one where Jillian finally makes the right decision and cans the biggest asshole in summer reality television (give it a few more weeks and I’m sure Big Brother will provide us with someone who can take that title away). So I had every reason to watch this episode in anticipation…but I, unlike Jillian, I am no idiot. Every single episode of this season has centered on the will she or won’t she give Wes a rose question.

In typical Bachelorette fashion, the most pivotal date is saved for last so Jillian starts off the vacation with Kiptyn. Jillian spent these four dates grilling each man on his feelings for her and the possibility of a future engagement. Kiptyn is the most sensible man for saying that an engagement shouldn’t be rushed. Thank you for finally having the brains to realize the flaw with The Bachelor/Bachelorette series.

Next up was her date with Reid. Reid’s weird confession of his feelings was kind of adorable. He clearly avoided using the “l” word but he kept on telling Jillian that it gets better every time he sees her. He stumbled over his words and Jillian laughed throughout the entire speech, but it was actually heartfelt. It’s reassuring to feel that someone is actually legitimately falling for her.

Third on the agenda was Ed. I’ve never been a big Ed fan. This episode just further proved how boring he is. I’m sorry but I don’t see the charm or the connection between him and Jillian.

Jillian was given the chance to spend a night with each of the men in the fantasy suite. She hasn’t been the most innocent of girls so it was shocking when she turned down both Kiptyn and Reid. Jillian finally gained some respect in my eyes…that did not last long. She gives the fantasy suite to the one man who has been gone almost the entire time, Ed. Her reasoning is that he was gone for so long that he deserved more time. I call bullshit on that one. The men who have been there since the beginning and put their jobs on hold to be with her should be rewarded with extra time, not the one who left.

So Jillian finally has her date with Wes, which was conveniently the final date of the episode. Right off the bat, the bachelorette notices how far away Wes sits from her as he tells her his feelings. It’s about time Jillian picks up on these signals, it’s just a shame that he clearly wants her to get rid of him at this stage in the show. Wes further proves his asshole nature when he tells Jillian at dinner that if he wanted to come on the show for business reasons, he clearly already got enough press out about his band and he would leave her now if that’s all he wanted. As if this should make her trust him? So after several tears from Jillian due to Wes’ obvious lies, he has the nerve to say they should spend the night together. This guy makes me furious…but I suppose that’s good tv.

At the least surprising rose ceremony ever, Jillian finally finds her brain and gives Wes the boot. Wes, sadly, gets the last laugh as he tells the guys prior to the ceremony, “know that if it’s me I’ll be back home having lots of sex.” In an annoying limo ride home, Wes admits that he is the first guy in the history of The Bachelorette to make it in the final four with a girlfriend. He then goes on to berate the remaining men and make a complete ass of himself and Jillian.

So now with Wes gone who would win Jillian’s heart? Although I dislike him, I’m rooting for Ed. Quite frankly I think both Kiptyn and Reid are too good for her.

Just please please make Michael the next bachelor!

Diary of a Dexter Newbie

Even though the television schedule is way less empty during summer than it was going back before the predominance of Cable (like AMC and SciFi) and Premium (HBO, Showtime) channels, summer still tends to be a bit of a television dry spell for me. This is good. It allows me to do things like catch up on Heroes, or even drift into a whole new show. For now, that show is Dexter. From time to time, when the big things start to develop and at season finales, I'll post on here about the Dexter journey.




I knew very little about this show going into it. I know Michael C. Hall starred as some sort of bad-guy killing serial killer, and that Darla from Angel was on it. That could be the full extent. Having just finished the pilot, here are a few, gut reactions.

• Wow. That show is dark. I mean, I knew there'd be murders and blood and guts, but Darla as a domestic abuse victim dating a man who enjoys cutting people up? D.A.R.K.
• Michael C. Hall reminds me a bit of a bizarro world Andy from Weeds. They have a disturbingly similar line delivery and easy hotness. Of course, Dexter couldn't be less like Andy... I think.
• Also, Michael C. Hall is disturbingly hot as Dexter. I didn't think I could find him attractive, per se, after Six Feet Under, and am disturbed to find this show proving me wrong. I feel like it's just cruel to put the man in those tight shirts while he butchers people. It reminds me a lot of American Psycho.
• Does the Darla-effect with Julie Benz ever go away? It's not that I think her Rita Bennet isn't an interesting, fascinating character, but every time Benz puts on her scared, frail face, I expect her to turn away from camera for a second and then come back with fangs. It just seems like a fake show of sincerty to make suckers like Lindsay feel sorry for her. I don't even think Benz herself is doing a bad job; I'm just wondering, from other Buffy and Dexter fans, will I get over this?
• I really, really liked that pilot, and I didn't really expect to. It's practically impossible to judge how a show will wear on you from a pilot (I've far too often hated pilots of great shows and liked those of shows that would quickly peter away) but I must say this one was really strong: good acting, writing, directing, and a definite unique, fascinating point of view that keeps me wanting to come back for more.

In future Diary entries, I'll go more into plot and my predictions for the future, but as for now here's a beginning to my new summer feature "Diary of a Dexter Newbie."

Fun fact for those of you looking to play along with the Dexter watching at home, it's available for free via Netflix Watch Instantly (yet another great reason to get a Netflix subscription).

Hey HBO!

Hey there HBO execs,

I'm a patriot. I'm all for America. I spent the Fourth of July not one hundred feet away from the Liberty Bell and the steps that Sylvester Stallone famously ran up to train for his big comeback in Rocky, getting, I admit it, a little teary eyed as I heard Barack Obama's voice blast out underneath the BOOMs of the fireworks. So don't think I don't love my country.

But the 4th of July is no reason to not show a new episode of True Blood after just three episodes! I've barely even got my (pardon this pun) teeth into the new season. What's going on with Lafayette? The newly awesome, bratty, fantastic Jessica and her human lover? How are Jason's abs doing? Sookie is whose exactly*? How can I go another week without knowing the answers to these very important questions?!

So HBO, celebrate on Saturday, sleep off the hangover, then let's celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in the most awesome way possible: over a bottle of True Blood.

Sincerely,

Rachael

*Trick question. Sookie is, as always, "mine."

Vacation Time

Hi Readers,

I'll be out of town for a week and a bit so I leave you in the capable hands of Rachael, managing editor ad interim.

See you next week and happy 4th of July to our American readers (and belated happy Canada day to the Canucks).

Love,
Kelly

PS: In my absence be sure to tune in to Big Brother's season premiere, Wes' big Bachelorette confession episode, the final pre-top ten week of the SYTYCD and this week's offerings of Valentine, Better off Ted, Samantha Who, Kings, Eli Stone and Merlin.

Scrubs Says Goodbye

The series finale of the Scrubs we know aired on May 6th but I just got around to watching it tonight. I say "the Scrubs we know" because the show will technically be returning in the fall but executive producer Bill Lawrence has urged viewers to see the new season as a different entity altogether. Featuring only a few members of the current cast (the most notable absence being lead actor and narrator Zach Braff), the new chapter of Scrubs will abandon it's home hospital in favour of a med school setting. So, in more ways than one, the finale I saw tonight was the end of Scrubs, in its current incarnation.

The episode (a two parter entitled "My Finale") was a perfect series ending (in keeping with the great finale formula that I talked about in "The OC in My Opinion" and "Spin City: in memory of Mike", both available in the Featured Posts section). It celebrated JD's last day at Sacred Heart before he moves to another hospital to be closer to his son Sam.

Each character got their curtain call moment: including a funny and character appropriate goodbye from the Janitor, a touching moment between JD and Carla, a small but nice goodbye for Dr. Kelso, a sweet but perhaps a little scripty pro-JD rant from Dr. Cox (his hurtful rant at the end of part 1 was more affecting in my opinion), appropriately undramatic farewells from Elliot and Turk (who are the two character that were the most prominently rooted in JD's life outside the hospital) and a beautiful reappearance by many of the 8 season series' most memorable guest stars in a fantasy sequence very true to the show's fantastical tone.

The final sequence in which JD imagines his future the way he wants it to be was really quite touching if you looked at it the right way. It would be easy to write off the scene (in which JD watches his future on a makeshift movie screen) as cheesy and dumb, but a real fan of the show will recognize it as a perfect JD moment. As a character he's always been cheesy and day-dreamy, and thus the show has been too. In the character's final moment, what's more appropriate than embracing those very qualities and giving the audience a feeling of hope in a happy ending for the character (an ending where he marries Elliot, they have a baby, he gets together with Turk's family and Dr. Cox's family for Christmas and finally gets his hug, and Sam Dorian and Izzie Turk get engaged, making JD and Turk family finally).

The ending was sweet, paying tribute to the 8 seasons that came before and sending off the leaving characters in the right direction.

Now it's time to get excited for next season's Scrubs 2.0: Med School, (clearly not the actual title).

The First Cut That Really Hurt

Tonight's So You Think You Can Dance results show marked the first painful cut of the year. Sure I was sad to see Ashley go a couple weeks ago (she was too good to go out second) but no one I was really invested in bit the dust until tonight.

I saw it coming. This was Vitolio's third trip to the bottom 3, the judges never saw in him what I saw and with the surprising inclusion of Jeanine and Phillip in the bottom couples instead of the vulnerable Caitlin and Jason, I knew that it was Vitolio who'd be leaving.

Still, after another brilliant solo that I thought lived up to everything Vitolio's carriage promised (I never know what Nigel's talking about), it was sad to see a favourite leave for the first time this season.

A lovely dancer and a lovelier personality, Vitolio was the good-guy surprise of the season. He was goofy and sweet and emotional and endearingly awkward at times though he looked like he'd be none of those things- I just loved him.

Karla (a dancer I never cared much for) was the other elimination of the evening.

With Vitolio gone, it's time to focus attention on my favourite dancers still in the competition.

The are (in order):
Jeanine
Phillip

Evan

Caitlin

and Ade

Dillon Highschool Bids Farewell to 3 More Graduates

One of the greatest things about Friday Night Lights is its ability to evolve with its characters instead of artificially holding on to them. Last season saw the departures of Jason Street (Scott Porter) and Smash Williams (Gaius Charles) from the town of Dillon. Both boys had graduated highschool and were ready to leave their small town behind. Unafraid of losing popular central characters, the folks at Friday Night Lights wrote beautiful farewell arcs for both men then calmly bid adieu.

This season will see recent graduates Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki), Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly) and Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) leave Dillon behind as well. All three actors will be returning for multi-episode arcs that close out their stories before their characters move on.

Will the show be the same without the characters we've grown to love? No, but that's sort of the point. Producers are counting on the anchoring power of stars Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton to bring viewers back and engage them in the stories of new students. And for the immovable fan who longs for season 1 nostalgia, Taylor Kitsch's Tim Riggins will still be hanging around causing trouble and looking pretty.